Stupid Guest Tricks

I'm hardly an authority on the matter, but I seem to recall reading about Olympics referees and officials being trained not to gesture with any single digits, but rather to use whole-hand pointing in order not to risk offending anyone. And from what I could see from watching various Olympics, that appears to be true.

As for picking up the two-finger point, my ten-year-old and I started doing it as a joke after our most recent trip to WDW earlier this year, but it's kind of stuck with me. I deal with the public daily in my job in the court system, and we have a variety of nationalities and ethnic groups in our area, so I've started using it at work. I don't know if anyone ever was offended or might be by a single-finger point, but it's an easy change to make to avoid the possibility.

BRWombat wrote:I'm hardly an authority on the matter, but I seem to recall reading about Olympics referees and officials being trained not to gesture with any single digits, but rather to use whole-hand pointing in order not to risk offending anyone.

When I took a class to become a hockey referee (nowhere close to olympic level), I was taught to use an open palm point.

The two finger point isn't just unique to Disney though. I now have to fly a lot for my job, and I see it all the time when pointing out the exits on the plane. Several times in sports an open palmed point is also used.

tenprincess wrote:The reason we have the Disney point stems back into Walt Disney tradition. Walt himself would use two fingers to point with, and so it became tradition for disney employees.

ROTFL!

The reason Walt had to point with two fingers is that if he pointed with only one finger, his cigarette would fall to the ground!

"I want you to move this," <puff> "Over there," <puff> "And put that," <puff> "Over here," <puff> "And take that one out and burn it." <cough> <cough>

Zazu wrote:ROTFL!

The reason Walt had to point with two fingers is that if he pointed with only one finger, his cigarette would fall to the ground!

"I want you to move this," <puff> "Over there," <puff> "And put that," <puff> "Over here," <puff> "And take that one out and burn it." <cough> <cough>

I was avoiding posting Walt's chain smoking. But yeah, we have the disney point because of it. Oh well.

The two finger point dates back to stage acting... it is just too hard to see a single finger from a distance in a theater, so two fingers are used for visability.

Cedar Point also trains not to point with one finger. Then again Cedar Fair copies a lot of what Disney does. They have even held winter management meetings at WDW resorts.

Sometimes I feel the urge to one finger point with my middle finger LOL :)

RidePhoto101 wrote:Cedar Point also trains not to point with one finger. Then again Cedar Fair copies a lot of what Disney does. They have even held winter management meetings at WDW resorts.

Hell, Knotts trained me to use the two finger point, and this was nearly two years before Cedar Fair bought the park.